Air Fried Chicken Legs with Cilantro Pesto | Air Fryer

Air fried Chicken Legs with Cilantro Pesto–made with minimal fuss in your air fryer. It’s pesto like you’ve never had, and you’re going to love it. It’s kinda pesto and kinda chimichurri–but no matter what you call it, it’s delicious.

Air Fried Chicken Legs with Cilantro Pesto

Pesto is normally made from basil, or a similar herb, but I’m not normal. We use a lot of cilantro around my house, and I decided to make these Cilantro Pesto Chicken Legs and I’m glad I did! They’re rich in flavor and came out nice and crispy from the Air Fryer.

You will need to touch raw chicken for this recipe, so mentally prepare yourself to give those chicken legs a nice massage. This recipe also includes jalapeno, so it does have a nice spice to it. It’s not overbearing, and the jalapeno peppers really give it a nice flavor and pair well with the cilantro.

One thing to note that the air fryer really works best on fattier meats than leaner meats, and better with chicken with skin than without. I don’t love chicken skin, but honestly, the air fryer makes it so super crispy that you might find yourself enjoying it, as I did.

Use a meat thermometer to ensure that the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 1650F. Remove and serve with plenty of napkins.

Recipe Notes

Variations to the marinade:

Add 1 teaspoon ground cumin and 1 teaspoon ground coriander

Add 1 teaspoon garam masala

Add 1 teaspoon sumac or zataar

Add parsley and oregano or substitute parsley for some or all of the cilantro

Substitute red wine vinegar for the lemon juice

Don’t forget to check out my Air Fryer Cookbook!

Every one of the recipes in this book can be made in an hour or less, and many are on the table in as little as 30 minutes. You won’t find “cream of anything” cans in the ingredient list: instead, you’ll start with fresh ingredients–healthful meats and vegetables–and let the air fryer do the hard work. Unleash the full potential of your Air Fryer and eat healthfully every night.